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Ring and IBF cruiserweight champion Jai Opetaia has called for a unification fight following Noel Mikaelian's victory over Badou Jack to win the WBC title

Can’t imagine Jai wouldn’t win handily. Noel probably isn’t a belt holder in most eras, even in a crappy division. A fringe contender at best, but not a belt holder

Often when a weak champion wins a belt they try find a weak defence… but I think Noel is bad enough he could lose those weak defences. So he might as well get as much cash first defence as possible…

I’d like to think that’s Jai. Hope he fights jai… but I could also see him waiting for the benevidez/ramerez winner :(

Badu Jack has probably had his last fight and it played less than $200,000. Maybe could have fought Opetia for over a million.
I don't think Mikaelian will make the same mistake. Even if he loses to Opetia in a Riyadh fight there will be exposure and some ongoing marketability.
Jordan Thompson. Ellis Zorro and Jack Massey all got flogged by Opetia but they have gone on to headline smaller shows.

ninetypercent wrote: ↑14 Dec 2025, 19:53 Badu Jack has probably had his last fight and it played less than $200,000. Maybe could have fought Opetia for over a million.
I don't think Mikaelian will make the same mistake. Even if he loses to Opetia in a Riyadh fight there will be exposure and some ongoing marketability.
Jordan Thompson. Ellis Zorro and Jack Massey all got flogged by Opetia but they have gone on to headline smaller shows.

Wait what… Badu jack got less that 200k for that? That is insane. Wbc belt, name, friendly with the Middle East…

Surely Jai vs Badu in Saudi would have made Badu north of a million.

Knowing that purse bid was 300,000 makes Jai not getting that fight even more criminal. Jai should have been willing to give Badu jack his purse too and easy pay enough step aside for nole.. . Long term the WBC strap would be very valuable for Jai, and help set up undisputed…

Boxing maths is so weird… people poke around looking for mega millions but won’t pay relatively small fees to get the peaces that will get them there…

Jai gets wbc he probably gets an undisputed fight. If he gets that he probably wins it… if he wins it he probably gets a heavyweight title fight… it’s an investment.

I agree Greg.

gregregegg wrote: ↑14 Dec 2025, 20:52

ninetypercent wrote: ↑14 Dec 2025, 19:53 Badu Jack has probably had his last fight and it played less than $200,000. Maybe could have fought Opetia for over a million.
I don't think Mikaelian will make the same mistake. Even if he loses to Opetia in a Riyadh fight there will be exposure and some ongoing marketability.
Jordan Thompson. Ellis Zorro and Jack Massey all got flogged by Opetia but they have gone on to headline smaller shows.

Wait what… Badu jack got less that 200k for that? That is insane. Wbc belt, name, friendly with the Middle East…

Surely Jai vs Badu in Saudi would have made Badu north of a million.

Knowing that purse bid was 300,000 makes Jai not getting that fight even more criminal. Jai should have been willing to give Badu jack his purse too and easy pay enough step aside for nole.. . Long term the WBC strap would be very valuable for Jai, and help set up undisputed…

Boxing maths is so weird… people poke around looking for mega millions but won’t pay relatively small fees to get the peaces that will get them there…

Jai gets wbc he probably gets an undisputed fight. If he gets that he probably wins it… if he wins it he probably gets a heavyweight title fight… it’s an investment.

Can't argue with your logic. Even in the whacky world of professional boxing matchmaking and its head-scratching financial shenanigans, you outlined succinctly what should have happened. This scenario could have played out so differently, especially for Jack, but the only one not complaining is Mikaelian.

gregregegg wrote: ↑14 Dec 2025, 15:58 Often when a weak champion wins a belt they try find a weak defence… but I think Noel is bad enough he could lose those weak defences. So he might as well get as much cash first defence as possible…

I’d like to think that’s Jai. Hope he fights jai… but I could also see him waiting for the benevidez/ramerez winner :(

I actually think the opposite is gonna happen, like with Zhanibek vs Vincenzo.
How many "weak defences" does an unkown guy like Noel need to to earn a total purse equivalent to the single fight against Jai?

I think he is gonna cash out against Jai or gets the Jake Paul fight.

Thing is , its the fight game and we all guess , at whats going on , does anyone really think Jack is scared of Jai ,, i would say Jack is scared of no man , what we don't know is was Jack actually offered the fight with a contract , Not Jai saying he wants it , But an actual contract with a purse ,

Now if he was , how much was the purse , and where was the fight being held , Jai likes to fight on the goldcoast , his promoters Tasman are not Known for offering great money , , When you would think Jai could be seen has a cashout fight for some , Why are they not taking the fight , .

Basicly who would put there title on the line to fight Jai in his hometown at shit money , If off course thats whats happenning , I don't know if it is , but it happens regular , just has some boxers and managers price themselves out , others challenge and get great publicity while they offer peanuts and unreasonable demands , its the boxing game .

Jai Opetaia, Noel Mikaelian finalizing "Ring" cruiserweight showdown

Unbeaten Zuffa Boxing champion Jai Opetaia and WBC titlist Noel Mikaelian are finalizing a deal to stage a cruiserweight bout on an upcoming The Ring Magazine card later this year, Boxing Scene learned Friday.

Australia’s Opetaia 30-0 (23KOs) worked on the details with Saudi Arabia boxing financier Turki Alalshikh while attending last week’s heavyweight title fight between Oleksandr Usyk and Rico Verhoeven at Egypt’s Pyramids of Giza.

Alalshikh originally was pushing for new unified cruiserweight champion David Benavidez to fight Opetaia, who was effectively stripped of his IBF title by participating in his Zuffa Boxing debut versus Brandon Glanton on March 8.

An official briefed on the matter told Boxing Scene that Benavidez 32-0 (26KOs), who also reigns as WBC light-heavyweight champion, turned down an Opetaia fight and was “locked in” on instead pushing for a long-denied bout against four-division champion Canelo Alvarez.

Mexico’s Alvarez already has a September 12 fight on the books versus WBC super-middleweight champion Christian Mbilli, and he’s fought twice at 175lbs, knocking out Sergey Kovalev seven years ago and then losing to current three-belt champion Dmitry Bivol in 2022.

Bivol defends his 175lbs belts Saturday in Russia.

A boxing official familiar with the negotiations said Benavidez promoter Premier Boxing Champions was simultaneously working to offer Mikaelian a three-fight deal that would start with a Benavidez unification bout.

But the offer by Alalshikh has won over the 35-year-old Mikaelian 28-3 (12KOs), who captured the WBC belt in Los Angeles in December by defeating then-champion Badou Jack by unanimous decision.

Opetaia-Mikaelian offers the potential for fascinating hype considering the brash Zuffa Boxing head Dana White represents Opetaia and the loquacious 94-year-old Don King, who has promoted Muhammad Ali and MikeTyson, handles Mikaelian.

In addition to Opetaia, Zuffa Boxing boasts a rising cruiserweight stable that will be showcased June 6 in England when former champion Chris Billam-Smith meets Ryan Rozicki in the main event on Paramount+ with cruiserweights Jack Massey and Cheavon Clarke in the co-main.

The WBC has ordered cruiserweight champion Noel Mikaelian to defend his title against unified champion David Benavidez, according to a letter obtained by The Ring’s @MikeCoppinger.

Mikaelian has been in talks to fight Ring Magazine champion Jai Opetaia in the fall.

The WBC has ordered cruiserweight champion Noel Mikaelian to defend his title against unified champion David Benavidez, according to a letter obtained by @ringmagazine.

Mikaelian has been in talks to fight Ring Magazine champion Jai Opetaia in the fall. Benavdiez has the WBO and WBA titles so it’s unusual to see a fellow champion ordered as mandatory.

Funny. As soon as the Jai news broke. The WBC have ordered their champion into a mandatory unification?

Benavidez shouldn’t be ranked in WBC top 15 as he holds world titles with other orgs.

Just doing whatever they want really.

Poor jai... this is a cheery pick unification for either of them. I don't think Noel is very good.

Jai really hasn't been in a good fight in a couple of years. Then benivedez snaked him getting ramerez and it feels he is Gunnar snake him again getting Noel.

The frustrating thing is the longer it takes jai to "finnish" cruiser the less chance we see a meaningfully run at heavyweight. 2 years ago I thought jai was about 18 months away from finishing cruiserweight and moving to heavy... sadly not.

gregregegg wrote: ↑29 May 2026, 19:04 Poor jai... this is a cheery pick unification for either of them. I don't think Noel is very good.

Jai really hasn't been in a good fight in a couple of years. Then benivedez snaked him getting ramerez and it feels he is Gunnar snake him again getting Noel.

The frustrating thing is the longer it takes jai to "finnish" cruiser the less chance we see a meaningfully run at heavyweight. 2 years ago I thought jai was about 18 months away from finishing cruiserweight and moving to heavy... sadly not.

The longer it takes, the more he just looks like a guy that doesn't want the big fights and made the wrong career moves.

Ordering a unification, to not let Jai have their title is so cheap
I feel bad for Jai (not for Zuffa though), but he had it coming. Let's hope the payday was worth it.

I hope we still get Bivol vs Benavidez after..

Confirmed for September.

Garcia-Benn undercard

Does Noel get stripped now as well?
He ignored he "mandatory" AND went to Zuffa.
Can't f*ck up more than that

Promotional tug of war as Jai Opetaia and David Benavidez jostle over Noel Mikaelian

The future of Noel Mikaelian’s reign as WBC cruiserweight champion became tenuous Tuesday with Zuffa Boxing announcing he will fight its champion, Jai Opetaia of Australia, September 12 in Las Vegas.

The Zuffa announcement came minutes after the sole promoters for WBO/WBA cruiserweight champion David Benavidez and Mikaelian told Boxing Scene they have signed a contract for a December 12 unification between Benavidez and Mikaelian in Glendale, Arizona.

Delivering his patented laugh, Mikaelian's promoter Don King told Boxing Scene, “Well, [Mikaelian] has a signed contract with me. I love Noel, and I hope he does the right thing.”

King said Mikaelian sought a specific financial figure to fight Benavidez, and the promoter delivered.

“He [Mikaelian] wanted $1 million, and I got him $1 million,” King said of Mikaelian, 28-3 (12 KOs), who captured the belt in December by defeating Badou Jack by decision.

Sampson Lewkowicz, the CEO of Sampson Boxing, which promotes Phoenix’s three-division champion Benavidez, 32-0 (26 KOs), said his fighter was to sign the fight agreement for Mikaelian in short order.

As for Mikaelian, while King says the fighter is bound to honor the promoter’s negotiations, Lewkowicz said before the Zuffa announcement that there were persistent industry rumors Mikaelian was returning to negotiate for an Opetaia bout after first doing so in the spring, when officials told BS a deal was in the final stages.

Opetaia will fight on the September 12 card headlined by new WBC welterweight champion Ryan Garcia versus England’s No. 1 contender Conor Benn at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

“I’m not too worried about that,” King said about the prospect of Mikaelian potentially avoiding Benavidez before the Zuffa fight announcement. “We’re trying to bring the electricity back to boxing with this unification.

“He might be considering something from people with good intentions, but the road to hell is paved with good intentions.”

Lewkowicz and King both said if Mikaelian moves away from the Benavidez fight, the grounds for a lawsuit exist because of Mikaelian’s signed ties to King.

The 35-year-old Armenian said in a prepared statement from Zuffa: “When I step into the ring on September 12 against Jai Opetaia in Las Vegas, I intend to defend my [WBC] world championship. This is the fight I’ve wanted since becoming a two-time world champion, and I’m ready to deliver. I haven’t fought since December 2025 because of circumstances outside of my control. I refused to stay inactive. Champions are meant to defend their titles, and that’s exactly what I’m prepared to do.”

His manager, Anthony Girges, said in a prepared statement: “My job has always been to put Noel in the best position to succeed. More than 60 days after Noel vs. David Benavidez was ordered, we still haven’t received a bona fide offer. Noel wasn’t going to sit on the sidelines any longer. This isn’t just about two champions in Noel and Opetaia. It’s about protecting the integrity of the sport and making the fights the fans deserve.”

Benavidez also stands as the WBC light-heavyweight champion, and that position afforded him the opportunity to petition for a WBC cruiserweight title shot, which WBC president Mauricio Sulaiman granted in May.

If Mikaelian opts to fight Opetaia, the expectation is he will be stripped of the WBC belt and Benavidez would have the chance to fight the next fighter in line, Poland’s Michal Cieslak, for a third 200lbs belt.

Jai Opetaia vs Noel Mikaelian joins Garcia vs Benn on September 12th

Jai Opetaia’s second fight under the Zuffa banner will pit him against Noel Mikaelian, at least for now

Despite a standing order to defend his WBC cruiserweight title against David Benavidez, Noel Mikaelian will meet Jai Opetaia in the co-feature of Zuffa Boxing’s Ryan Garcia vs Conor Benn show in Las Vegas, Nevada.

“This is a huge card, and I look forward to showing the world once again why I’m the best cruiserweight on the planet,” Opetaia said. “Credit to Noel for stepping up to the plate while others — yes, David Benavidez, I’m talking about you — continue to run and hide.”

“This is a massive fight for Jai, and it’s refreshing to see a top-tier cruiserweight step forward when so many continue to avoid the challenge,” said Mick Francis, Opetaia’s longtime manager. “He’s proud to defend the Zuffa Boxing and Ring titles on the biggest stage.”

“When I step into the ring on September 12 against Jai Opetaia in Las Vegas, I intend to defend my world championship. This is the fight I’ve wanted since becoming a two-time world champion, and I’m ready to deliver,” Mikaelian said. “I haven’t fought since December 2025 because of circumstances outside of my control. I refused to stay inactive. Champions are meant to defend their titles, and that’s exactly what I’m prepared to do.”

It’s certainly a better matchup than the Glanton fight that kicked off this whole debacle in the first place. but I personally would not put any stake in this happening. Mikaelian (28-3, 12 KO) is under contract with Don King, who remains as vexatiously litigant as ever and has a long history of quashing any attempt by his fighters to compete outside of his purview. Dan Rafael reports that King, who’d reached a deal with Benavidez promoter Sampson Lewkowicz, will follow his usual M.O. and “likely” file suit.

There’s also the matter of Mikaelian’s belt to consider; regardless of whether you agree with the forced unification or, like Opetaia (30-0, 23 KO), consider it a cudgel to punish the former IBF champ for signing with Zuffa, Mikaelian is pretty blatantly defying an order. The press release includes the following:

”My job has always been to put Noel in the best position to succeed. More than 60 days after Noel vs. David Benavidez was ordered, we still haven’t received a bona fide offer. Noel wasn’t going to sit on the sidelines any longer,” said Anthony Girges, Mikaelian’s advisor. “This isn’t just about two champions in Noel and Opetaia. It’s about protecting the integrity of the sport and making the fights the fans deserve.”

This is why you give deadlines for purse bids, Mauricio.

Anyway, Michal Cieslak still holds the interim title he won by smashing a geriatric Jean Pascal more than a year ago; no telling whether he’ll receive an upgrade or step in to fight Benavidez for what’s likely to be a vacant belt within the next few days.

Not a bad fight, but why not Opetaia vs Billam Smith instead? Or is Mikaelian bringing a belt in to the fight?

The odds of this actually going ahead with the WBC belt are probably pretty slim.

Opetaia To fight Mikaelian On Garcia-Benn card Sept. 12

Jai Opetaia will face WBC cruiserweight champ Noel Mikaelian in the co-feature on the Ryan Garcia-Conor Benn card September 12 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

Zuffa Boxing officially announced the 12-round fight Tuesday. It is unclear whether Armenia’s Mikaelian will defend his belt against Australia’s Opetaia because the WBC ordered him to face WBA/WBO champ David Benavidez next May 29.
Regardless, Opetaia’s Ring title will be at stake against The Ring’s No. 5 contender.

“This is a huge card, and I look forward to showing the world once again why I’m the best cruiserweight on the planet,” Opetaia said in a press release issued by Zuffa Boxing. “Credit to Noel for stepping up to the plate while others – yes, David Benavidez, I’m talking about you – continue to run and hide.”

The Opetaia-Mikaelian match came together quickly, as representatives for Mikaelian (28-3, 12 KOs) were in discussions with Benavidez’s handlers for a unification fight next.

Benavidez (32-0, 26 KOs) is The Ring’s No. 1 contender in the cruiserweight and light heavyweight divisions and No. 5 on The Ring’s pound-for-pound list. The Phoenix native also holds the WBC light heavyweight title, though he might not return to the 175-pound division after moving up 25 pounds for his impressive sixth-round stoppage of Mexico’s Gilberto Ramirez (48-2, 30 KOs) on May 2 at T-Mobile Arena.

It is rare for a champion to be ordered by a sanctioning body to face the owner of another governing organization’s belt. It occurred in part because Benavidez’s handlers petitioned the WBC on his behalf. Mikaelian could be stripped by the WBC for moving forward with this bout against Opetaia (30-0, 23 KOs).

Mikaelian, 35, regained his WBC title via a unanimous decision in a rematch with Badou Jack on December 13 in Los Angeles. Sweden’s Jack won their first bout by a majority decision in May of last year.

“This is the fight I’ve wanted since becoming a two-time world champion, and I’m ready to deliver,” Mikaelian said. “I haven’t fought since December 2025 because of circumstances outside of my control. I refused to stay inactive. Champions are meant to defend their titles, and that’s exactly what I’m prepared to do.”

Opetaia, 31, last fought March 8, when he retained The Ring title by way of a dominant unanimous decision over Atlanta’s Brandon Glanton in Las Vegas. After beating Glanton (21-4, 18 KOs), the Sydney native was stripped of his IBF title for a second time after the New Jersey-based sanctioning body cited an issue with Opetaia and Glanton fighting for the Zuffa belt and stated it does not recognize that title.

Opetaia’s team took legal action by suing the IBF on July 14, when his attorney filed a 123-page complaint in the U.S. District Court for the District of Nevada. The strong southpaw seeks reinstatement as IBF champion and believes the IBF stripped him in retaliation for signing with Zuffa Boxing, an emerging promotional company in which Ring owner Turki Alalshikh has made a significant financial investment.

Opetaia also believes the IBF had no plans of sanctioning his bout against Glanton before he sent a $73,000 sanctioning fee that was promptly returned.

Garcia-Benn, Opetaia-Mikaelian and other undercard contests will be streamed on Paramount+ in the United States and DAZN in the UK and Ireland.

Jai Opetaia to face Noel Mikaelian on Garcia vs Benn card

Jai Opetaia will return to the ring against WBC cruiserweight world champion Noel Mikaelian on Sept. 12 in Las Vegas, Zuffa Boxing confirmed Tuesday.

The fight will be the co-main event ahead of Ryan Garcia's WBC welterweight title bout against Conor Benn at the T-Mobile Arena.

While Mikaelian (28-3, 12 KOs) is the WBC champion, the governing body was not mentioned in the fight announcement on Tuesday. In May, the WBC ordered Mikaelian to fight David Benavidez next.

However, in a statement, the 35-year-old said he intended to fight with his title on the line.

"When I step into the ring ... against Jai Opetaia in Las Vegas, I intend to defend my world championship," Mikaelian said.

"This is the fight I've wanted since becoming a two-time world champion, and I'm ready to deliver.

"I haven't fought since December 2025 because of circumstances outside of my control. I refused to stay inactive. Champions are meant to defend their titles, and that's exactly what I'm prepared to do."

Former IBF champion Opetaia (30-0, 23 KOs) will defend his Ring Magazine and Zuffa cruiserweight belts, while the Australian also took aim at Benavidez on Tuesday.

"This is a huge card, and I look forward to showing the world once again why I'm the best cruiserweight on the planet," Opetaia said in a statement.

"Credit to Noel for stepping up to the plate while others -- yes, David Benavidez, I'm talking about you -- continue to run and hide."

In March, the IBF stripped Opetaia after he fought for the Zuffa belt, beating Brandon Glanton. The IBF did not sanction the bout with Glanton.

The governing body indicated they had been informed the Zuffa belt was "characterized as a trophy or token of recognition," rather than a world title.

Cruiserweight champ Opetaia to face Mikaelian on Garcia-Benn card

However, Mikaelian likely to be stripped by WBC, faces possible lawsuit

Lineal cruiserweight champion Jai Opetaia will make his ninth defense against Noel Mikaelian on Sept. 12 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Zuffa Boxing announced on Tuesday.

The bout will serve as the co-feature on the card headlined by WBC welterweight titleholder Ryan Garcia’s first defense against Conor Benn (Paramount+ globally except DAZN PPV in the U.K. and Ireland).

“This is a huge card, and I look forward to showing the world once again why I’m the best cruiserweight on the planet,” Opetaia said. “Credit to Noel for stepping up to the plate while others — yes, David Benavidez, I’m talking about you — continue to run and hide.”

Mick Francis, Opetaia’s longtime manager, added, “This is a massive fight for Jai, and it’s refreshing to see a top-tier cruiserweight step forward when so many continue to avoid the challenge. He’s proud to defend the Zuffa Boxing and Ring (magazine) titles on the biggest stage.”

There are issues however. Mikaelian, the two-time WBC titleholder, who regained the belt in December with a decision win over Badou Jack in their rematch, likely will be stripped and faces a potential lawsuit.

The reason is because in early June the WBC ordered Mikaelian (28-3, 12 KOs), 35, an Armenia native fighting out of Miami, to make his mandatory defense against Benavidez (32-0, 26 KOs), 29, of Phoenix, in what would have been a three-belt unification bout since Benavidez holds the WBO and WBA 200-pound titles.

While it is unusual for a sanctioning body to rank a fighter that holds a belt in another organization, much less make that fighter a mandatory challenger, the WBC has done it before in what it says is an effort to foster unification bouts.

Also, Benavidez, who also holds the WBC light heavyweight title, petitioned the WBC for the mandatory shot at its cruiserweight belt in June when it was an open secret that there were discussions for Mikaelian to next face Opetaia.

WBC president Mauricio Sulaiman has said publicly multiple times that he would like to see a unification fight between Benavidez and Mikaelian and that if Mikaelian opted to face Opetaia he would be stripped of the WBC title. Sulaiman was not available for comment on Tuesday.

Besides the probability that Mikaelian will be stripped — something Zuffa Boxing officials could not care less about given their open hostility to the sanctioning bodies — there is also a strong chance that Mikaelian promoter Don King will sue Mikaelian in an effort to block the fight.

King and Benavidez promoter Sampson Lewkowicz in recent days, as reported by Fight Freaks Unite, made a deal for the three-belt unification fight to headline a November PBC pay-per-view card on Prime Video and DAZN but Mikaelian has walked away from that fight — and apparently from King — in order to instead face Opetaia (30-0, 23 KOs), 31, an Australian southpaw, who will fight in the U.S. for his second fight in a row.

“When I step into the ring on Sept. 12 against Jai Opetaia in Las Vegas, I intend to defend my world championship,” Mikaelian said. “This is the fight I’ve wanted since becoming a two-time world champion, and I’m ready to deliver. I haven’t fought since December 2025 because of circumstances outside of my control. I refused to stay inactive. Champions are meant to defend their titles, and that’s exactly what I’m prepared to do.”

Anthony Girges, Mikaelian’s advisor, disputed that King has even made an offer for the fight against Benavidez despite having made a deal with Lewkowicz.

“My job has always been to put Noel in the best position to succeed,” Girges said. “More than 60 days after Noel versus David Benavidez was ordered, we still haven’t received a bona fide offer. Noel wasn’t going to sit on the sidelines any longer. This isn’t just about two champions in Noel and Opetaia. It’s about protecting the integrity of the sport and making the fights the fans deserve.”

Benavidez moved up to cruiserweight in May and dominated Gilberto “Zurdo” Ramirez in a sixth-round knockout to take his unified titles.

Opetaia made his American and Zuffa Boxing debut on March 8 in Las Vegas and handily outpointed Brandon Glanton to retain the lineal crown and win the inaugural Zuffa belt despite being stripped for the second time by the IBF during fight week because it does not recognize the Zuffa title.

Opetaia sued the IBF in federal court last month seeking to be reinstated as IBF champion and accused the IBF of conspiring with the other sanctioning organizations in an effort to hurt his earning power while also sending a message to other fighters that they should not sign with Zuffa Boxing.